System of electrical distribution for electric railways.



No. 649,989. Patented May 22, I900. F. 9. M98.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION FOR ELECTRIC BAILWAYS.

(Application filed Mar. 8, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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TE STA E PATENT 0am FEDOR R. KOSS, OF GHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY. I

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 649,989, dated May 22,1900.

Applicationfiled Marti s, 1900. Serial No. 7,739. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FEDOR It. Koss, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing at Oharlottenburg, near Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, Germany,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems ofElectrical Distribution, (Case No. 1,554,) of which the following is aspecification.

. This invention relates to a system of distribution having especialapplication to electric railways.

The drawing is a plan view of a system embodying my invention.

The rails of an electric railroad are represented by the letters F andF. In any suitable location, such that they may be engaged by thecollectors on the car, are arranged electrical contacts g g, &c. Thesecontacts may be classified as sets, each set being connected or adaptedto be connected with one of the auxiliary supplyconductors to b 0. Theseconductors a l? c are each connected by independent conductors with themain feeder of the system through circuit-breakers d cf. The contacts g,&c., with their connections, are so arranged that two successivecontacts are never connected to the same supply-conductor that is, sothat each contact is connected or adapted to be connected with asupply-conductor other than that or those with which the preceding andsubsequent conductors are connected.

Hitherto electric railways with overhead supply-lines have been dividedinto sections for convenience in repairing defects which could bequickly accomplished; but this method is inapplicable torailways, suchas surface=contact or conduit railways, wherein underground constructorsare used, owing to the greater length of time necessary for repairs. Ina system constructed in accordance with my invention when any contact isshortcircuited the circuit-breaker in the connection between the feederand the auxiliary conductor with which the contact is connected willopen and prevent a further waste of current. The circuit-breakers d e fare of any suitable design of the many known to engineers foraccomplishing the desired result. As shown in the drawing, there is acoil in series with the switch-contacts, so that when the correspondingworking contact g is shortcircuited, causing excessive current to flowthrough the switch and coil, the coil will cause the switch to open. Theswitch of each circuit -breaker is adapted to be operated manually, whendesired, as shown. This, however, will not cause a suspension of theoperation of the cars on the road, for the contacts connected with theother supply-conductors are still operative, and the momentum of a carwill carry it over the dead contact. In case of a road running through astreet with heavy traliic if the momentum of a car be not sufficient tocarry it over the dead contact or if the contacts are separated so farfrom each other that a car may stop. on a dead contact without anyconnection with a live contact such car can readily be pushed along to alive contact by the following car. The supplyconductors to which theshort-circuited contact is connected being now out out, that contact canbe readily located by testing and repairs made without interruptingtrafiic. If desired, the contacts may be arranged so closely together orthe collector on the car be of such length that two contacts may alwaysbe engaged simultaneously by the collector, and in this case no singlecar could be stalled I even though one of the. contacts be dead. 80Likewise in case of damage to any contact or a break in its connectionsthe corresponding circuit-breaker or switch can be opened and repairsmade while thejdefective contact is cut out. If desired, the contactsmay have numbers cast on them for convenience in locating defects. Thecombination of switches and fuses is regarded as an equivalent of thecircuit-breakers.

The auxiliary supply-conductors a b 0 may extend the entire length ofthe road and the circuit-breakers be located in the station, thusavoiding the use of the feeder S, or the feeder S may be used and thecircuit-breakers located at the most convenient part of the line otherthan the station; but for long roads it is preferred to use the feederS, as shown, with the auxiliary conductors a b cin sections, eachconductor of a section being connected with the-feeder S through acircuitbreaker. v

The invention is not limited in its application to any particular formof electric railway, but may be applied to an underground railway withoverhead contacts, a conduit-railway, or surface-contact railway withoutde- 2 I Y l 649,98?)

parting in any essential respect from the spirit of theinvention. The.contactspam shown herein as permanently connected with thesupply-conductors; but the inventionis intended to beuappliedtosectional railways in which the contacts are normally dead, but areenergized at the passing of a-car in any suitable manner. Contact-railsmight also be used instead of the studs, as shown. It is not essentialthat three auxiliary supply-con ductors, as shown, be used, as two wouldbe suiiicientin practice, or any greater number could be used. It isonly necessary that more than one be used in order that each contact maybe connected with a difierent conductor than that with which the nearestcontacts toit are connected. WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is"

- 1. A main supply-conductor, a plurality of;

' auxiliary supply-conductors connected there-- with, and sets ofcontacts, the number of sets tacts of another set or sets, and means fordisconnecting any of the auxiliary conductors from the mainsupply-conductor.

3. A main supply-conductor, a plurality of auxiliary supply-conductorsconnected there-l with, and sets of contacts, the number of setscorresponding to the number of auxiliary con-I ductors, the contacts ofeach set being ele'c-' trically connected with one of the auxiliarysupply-conductors, andeach contactof any set being'arranged alternatelywith the con tacts of another set or sets, andmeans where by an"auxiliary conductoris automaticallydisconnected from the main conductorwhen any of the contacts connectedwithsaidauxiliary conductor isshort-circuited I 7 4QInan electric railway, the combination with themain feeder, of a plurality of supply conductors electrically connectedwith the feeder, and sets of contacts all arranged along the way andadapted to be engaged by the collector of the car, the contacts ofeach-set being adapted to be connected with one of said auxiliarysupply-conductors, and eachcontact in all the sets being arrangedbetween the contacts of another set or sets. 5. In an electric railwaythe combination with'the main feeder, of aplurality of supply-'conductors electrically connected with the feeder, and sets ofcontacts'all arranged alonglthe way and adapted to be engagedby' thecollector of the car, the contacts of each set .beinglladapted to.belconnected with one of said auxiliary supply-conductors, each contactmall the sets being arranged between the contacts of another set orsets, and means for disconnecting any of the auxiliary conductors fromthe main supply-conductor.

6.7 In an electric railway, the combination with the main feeder, of aplurality of supply-conductors electrically connected'with the feeder,and sets of contacts all arranged along the way and adapted to beengaged by the collector of the car, the contacts of each set' beingadapted to be connected with one of said auxiliarysupply-conductors,each contact in all the'sets being arranged betweenthe contacts of another set or-sets, and means whereby anauxiliaryconductor is automatic= ally disconnected from the main conductor whenany of the contacts. connected with said auxiliary conductor areshort-circuited.

7. In an electric railway, the combination with the main feeder, of aplurality of sup= ply-conductors electrically connected with 'thefeeder, and sets of contacts all arranged along the'way and adapted tobe engaged by the collector of the car, the contacts of each set beingadapted to be connected with one of saidauxiliary supply-conductors,each contact in all the sets being arranged between the contacts ofanother set orsets, and a circuit-breaker in each connection between themain conductor-and the auxiliaryconductors.

"8. In an electric railway, thecombination with a plurality ofsupply-conductors, of con- .tacts adapted to be engaged by the collectoron the car, each contact being adapted to be connected with asupply-conductor other than that or those with which the two contactsbetween which it is located areconnected'.

9. A main supply-conductor, sections of auxiliary supply conductors,each section comprising a plurality of conductors, each conductor ofeachsection being connected with the main supply-conductor, andsets ofcontacts, the contacts of each set being adapted to be connected withone series of conduc 1 tors extending throughout all the sections, (andthe contactsbeing located so'that no two adjacent contacts are connectedwith the same auxiliary conductor.

10. In an'electric railway, the combination with sets of contactsadapted to be engaged ,bythe collector on'the car, each contact beingadapted to be connected with a feeder other than that or those to whichthe contacts adjacent to it are connected, and means for disconnecting aconductor from the set of contacts which are connected with it whenthere is any trouble with any'of the contacts inthat -set. In witnesswhereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of February, '1900.FEDOR R. KOSS.

Witnesses: V r

W OLDEMAR HAUPT,

I HENRYIIAsPER.

